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They are two different coins.

Just back from holiday. Whilst away, on 26th January, I bought a lot of 25 low grade Victorian pennies. One coin amongst them was the very rare 1889 with the 9 high right in the exergue. After 2 to 3 days I enquired of the seller when he intended to post the lot, as he was supposed to have sent tracked, but no details yet on ebay. After a couple more days, and further chasing, he advised that he had sent them, but not tracked. Anyway, a package was received by my neighbour on 3rd February, so I thought that was ok after all. I returned home today, and opened the package to find that the 1889 was not as I expected. The return window has also closed earlier today! I just wanted to check with other members that you agree with me that the received 1889 is not what I bought. The picture on the sale was not great, but I still think that the differences are clear enough. Apart form the different numeral 9 location, I believe there are several other obvious differences. For example, around Britannia's head the received coin has a more pointed top to the plume, a dent in the head and a dark mark on border. I feel fairly confident that the delay must have been because someone else has alerted the seller as to the rarity of this variety, and he has swapped it with a different 1889. However, bearing in mind the poor quality of the image, I would welcome the thoughts of other members before I complain.

James I Half Groat ..... ive been keeping away from the hammered pennies as Its tiring and needs a break for awhile.. I have others already identified of and fairly confidant that its ... weight 1 grm James I, Half Groat , Second Coinage 1621 - 1623 m.m. Thistle any comments welcome....🫡

Read this in just a few days while travelling, would recommend as a light read: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/462484/a-history-of-britain-in-ten-enemies-by-deary-terry/9781804994979

Trying to correctly ID this coin to its subclass. So far I've got Randvlf at ilchester mint class 3. I can't decide if its IM 3 or IM 4. The Initial mark is cut through. The limbs look less pointy than IM 3 and more rounded i think but not 100 % sure. I know there is two types of IM 4 one is Horizontal the other Vertical according to Rod Blunts website. I think i can rule 3bc out as ENR is not ligated. Any ideas ? Thanks. Stu

Sifting through my bits and bobs and came across this one. Not listed in any books that i can find so one to mark down. Maybe a complete example will turn up one day who knows. Its a 1a4 obverse with the Seriffed X and a 1a3 reverse with a nice square E. Hvnfrei at York mint.

the I in SIX on the left looks wider towards the base of the letter...... to me.....🤔

@Peckris 2 Just to confirm - this is a JH 6d? It almost looks like JH 1+B but there isn't enough in the images to be sure it isn't YH to add confusion.

yes but they have been around quite a while -its not as if 50 years ago was yesterday

Thank you very much for that! I think then that this coin is a Class 1a5 or 1b1 as the N has four serifs, as per https://www.rodblunt.com/short-cross-pennies-11.

It's exactly the same - they haven't changed a thing.

It is rough but i think there is enough information to identify it. I can read VND + PIE i think. Which would make it Pieres at London Mint. Spink guide shows Pieres & Pieres M minting at London during class 1 under Henry II. Stu.

I'm new to this game and so the 2025 was my first real book about English coinage. It actually confused me at first when people referred to it as Spink 🤣 I've got no complaints about the quality of the information that is presented though I do wish they'd had mintage numbers in it like the no longer produced Krause books.

I haven't brought a copy for sometime and wonder if Sovereign Rarities has done a reasonable / good job for the 2025 and 2026 catalogues.

I can't think of any one book that covers the whole lot. I am sure there are plenty. Dorling Kingsley are usually a good publisher for this sort of thing as they do comprehensive but fairly light coverage of their topics, well supported by illustrations and diagrams in colour. From my own shelves I have picked out two from other publishers that I found useful - both found very cheaply at charity shops: "The Anglo Saxons" by James Campbell published by Phaidon in 1982. "Chronicles of the Age of Chivalry" edited by Elizabeth Hallam and published By Salamander in 2000. This latter I think is part of a series - I have seen one on the Anglo Saxon Chronicles and another on the Crusades in the same format. Both are "Coffee table" style - lots of facts and illustrations without going into huge depth. Easy reading!

Last year was the first issue under new ownership I think. There was a fair amount of chat about it on here at the time. I know I made sure I had a 2024 copy before the change in case they knackered it!

OMG, I didn't know that. When did it stop being Spink?

It's possible they were hoarded for silver value, but if that was the only reason you'd expect the majority to be George V 1911-1919. I don't know when your grandad was getting these, but certainly in the 1920s (when silver hoarders were rife) actual coin collectors didn't rate George V (or even Edward VII) as collectable, as they were 'too modern'. There seems to be a strong element of that here. ( <--- irony : "Coin Hoarder" )

Hello all. I am having some difficulties with this halved short cross penny. Specifically I am finding it hard to distinguish between early Class 1 of Henry II and early Class 5 of John. Both have the stop after the S of hENRICVS and a similar portrait structure. The poor condition of the piece doesn't help as it makes the hair not possible to see. I was wondering if anyone here could help to push me in the right direction. Thank you.

Thanks @wlewisiii, @Coinery ! Loved the King's Speech, one of my favourite! Also very much enjoyed the series "Victoria" and too bad it was canceled. Victoria also has some tidy bits about coins and the godless florins. I did watch Elizabeth back in the days and I now see it has a sequel! I will give it a rewatch and add the second movie! About "The King" -- is it the movie from 2019? I couldn't find a series. As far as books, I was thinking about Kings and Queens by Iain Dale .. anyone has a better rec? Or a different route altogether? Thanks!

I imagine a slow upward curve might happen

The King's Speech about George VI is excellent as well.

I enjoyed the series Victoria, and you can’t get a better bit of Cate Blanchett than in her role as Elizabeth I. Also I thought The King was great, a series about the rise of Henry V

Howdy all! Been on an UK-related streak lately and I was wondering if anyone can recommend a narrative-like book that goes over all the various monarchs that Britain had over the years? Not looking for an encyclopedia but more of a bedtime reading material. Same request for some movies/series that covers monarchs and their reigns (like "the crown", etc). Thanks a lot!

I looked at the EMC database but could not find the coin. I bought the coin off a reputable dealer on Ebay, who said that it was brought into their antique shop in East Anglia along with a load of ancient coins, so I would imagine that it was a detecting find.